Under the linden tree in front of Wave Hill House are several patches of this excellent native ground cover plant.

In the wild, Robin’s plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) is found over much of eastern North America. Often seen in rocky, wooded places, it is equally at home in fields and along roadsides. Its small, daisy-like flowers are mostly white.

This selection, ‘Lynnhaven,’ has a dense coating of tiny hairs over the foliage, giving the plant a slightly gray appearance, while the flowers, which are opening now on tall fuzzy stalks, are larger and have a slight hint of lilac.

Completely happy in both poor and dry soils, it can also tolerate full sun or part shade and moisture. It spreads by underground stolons (shoot-like roots) and quickly forms a weed-suppressing, thick mat—a far more attractive ground cover than a load of mulch!

Charlie Day responds: Although drought-tolerant—for a plant native to eastern US)—and hardy to zone 3, I do wonder if those western Montana valleys might be a little too dry. The natural distribution for Erygeron pulchellus doesn’t extend much farther west than the Mississippi.

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Visit Wave Hill

Affordable and easy to get to,
Wave Hill is open year-round
Tuesday–Sunday and many major
holidays: 9AM–5:30PM.
Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.

Getting Here is Easy!

Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill's free shuttle van transports you to and from our Front Gate and Metro-North's Riverdale Station, the 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line, and our free off site parking lot.